Stranded Down Under Tour

The world’s top scientists estimate that global temperatures will rise by up to 6 degrees in the next century if we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current rate.

As many industrialised nations act to reduce their emissions and shift to a low-carbon future, Australia plans to invest over AUD 100 billion in new coal mining developments over the next 15 years, including nine mega-mines in the Galilee Basin and the controversial Maules Creek coal mine in NSW’s Leard State Forest.

Whether you like it or not, your savings are probably funding the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

Ben Caldecott, founder of Oxford University’s Stranded Assets Programme and author of the groundbreaking report “Stranded Down Under? Environment-related factors changing China’s demand for coal and what this means for Australian coal assets”, sheds light on the ramifications of Australia’s fossil fuel addiction and how individuals can help us kick our nation’s dirtiest habit.

Ben Caldecott has been recognised as a leader in his field by the US Department of State and The Independent. Prior to joining Oxford, he was Head of Policy at investment bank Climate Change Capital where he ran the company’s research centre and advised clients and funds on the development of policy-driven markets. Ben has previously worked as Head of Government Advisory at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, as Research Director for Environment and Energy at the think tank Policy Exchange and as a Deputy Director in the Strategy Directorate of the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change. Ben read economics and specialised in development and China at the University of Cambridge and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Peking University and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford.